Tuesday, April 5, 2011

As a luxury real estate marketing professional getting your brand message right is of paramount importance. First, you must be sure you are communicating to the right target market. Second, you need to make sure you are communicating your extraordinary promise of value in their language, i.e., words that address your target market’s most pressing needs (not yours). When you inaccurately assess both of these factors your chances of success are between slim and none.

Porsche’s new marketing campaign “Engineered for Magic-Everyday” misses its target on both counts. As such, it serves as a great lesson in messaging.

There are plenty of emotional needs that Porsche ownership satisfies. But, “everyday” trips in the big city (where most Porches are sold) are definitely not one of them. This new ad campaign is geared to change the way their target market perceives this expensive sports car. Now it is a “school bus” (to pick up the kids), a "pickup truck" (to haul items in the trunk), and a “pet carrier” (to transport your dog, who enjoys the ride in the convertible).

This is total absurdity! Porsche will waste millions of dollars in this attempt to change its perception of being a “race car”, which is the DNA of its brand and the primary reason people buy it, whether or not they use it as such.

Another new Porsche video ad shows a father brushing snow of his Carrera with his kid sitting in the front seat. The caption is “Snowmobile”.

While visiting friends in Chicago, Alexandra, who has an impeccable driving record, drove her friend’s husband‘s Porsche in the snow with their baby son onboard. It was a white knuckle drive all the way. Even though she had plenty of experience driving in the snow from her days at the University of Minnesota, (in a car equipped with studded tires), it was tough not to do 360 degree turns in the Porsche. She felt helpless several times, praying to every deity she had ever heard about, to make it safely back to her friend’s home in the country. Perhaps, for some this would be considered a thrill. But, that segment of Porsche’s target market must be miniscule.

Getting your brand message right is crucial when marketing luxury real estate. Know your target market inside and out, their psychographics as well as their demographics. Then, speak to them in their language. That is, if you want to increase your sales and outpace your competition.﻿

About Me

At Napa Consultants, International International we help entrepreneurs and
professionals out-think (not out-spend) their competition and become the
"breakaway" brand in their marketplace. Our expertise is providing
strategic insight, creative instinct, and artistic flair to those
professionals and firms whose target market is affluent consumers. If
market leadership is your quest it is imperative to sharply
differentiate yourself or your company from your competition. Blend in
at your own risk. Stand out or bow out!